The moral dilemma: Would you be able to kill one person and save five?
Last reviewed: 16.10.2021
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Imagine a rampantly moving train with five people who are not able to get off of it. Now imagine that you can change the train route in another direction, killing one person, but at the same time saving five.
Would you do it?
This dilemma set forth by a team of scientists from the Michigan State University (USA) formed the basis for a new study of the moral principles of man. The study participants were placed in a digital three-dimensional simulator, and they were given the power to kill one person to save five.
Results? About 90 percent of the participants activated the switch to change the train's route and violated the moral rules to prevent the killing of five people.
"We found that the rule of" do not kill "can be broken in the name of the common good," said Carlos Navarrete David, lead researcher of the project.
The virtual model simulating the situation was as follows: the participant was on the train and had the right to choose the direction of the train with the help of a switch. Five people were walking along the rails ahead and to the right of it as the train moved towards the steep ravine. And to the left - one person.
As the train arrived at the given point where people were, participants could either do nothing and go along the original route, killing five tourists as a result - or activate the switch and redirect it to the left, killing one person.
Out of 147 participants, 133 (or 90.5%) activated the switch to change the train route, and knocking down one person. 14 participants allowed the train to kill five tourists (11 participants did not activate the switch, and three activated it, but then returned to their original position).